


The Mayview Despair

by potatoandleeksoup



Category: Danganronpa, Paranatural (Webcomic)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Suicide, Murder, OOC, i dont even like danganronpa anymore, i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-05-11
Packaged: 2020-02-29 22:51:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18787879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/potatoandleeksoup/pseuds/potatoandleeksoup
Summary: I'm sorry I fell. It was a slippery, slimy, grimy slope to hell.





	The Mayview Despair

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this when i was like 13/14 so pls be nice

 

**Year 8, Term Two. Week One.**

He felt like being a little dramatic.

So Max sauntered into the English room that he didn’t really belong in and caused a few people to look at him. The room went mostly silent and no-one addressed him. Max had no friends in this class other than Isaac, but if he was in another class in this grade people would surely be calling out for him.

But who really cared? 

The boy in the middle at the front addressed him. A ramp of red hair immediately gave him away.

 

“Max? What are you doing in my English class?” Isaac asked, moving his hand from resting on his cheek to on the desk. His eyebrows were raised a little, minor shock passing him.

“Got bumped up for English.” Max took a seat next to Isaac, throwing his bag onto the floor. Any whispers that were about him were now on a different subject. Students were fleeting like that. Boredom for another class took over and he started eavesdropping. 

_ (“Have you heard about what’s happening at that school in Japan?”)  _ Isaac saw the distant look on Max’s face and decided to restart the conversation, not paying attention to talks of tragedy behind him.

“So. Why isn’t Dimitri here, then?” Isaac asked, folding his arms. He was half overcome with curiosity, and more misdirected anger toward the boy that was some sort of natural genius.

_ (“No, why?”)  _ Max was still vacant, before clicking back and replying.

“He’s moved up an entire grade, and he’s not in this class,” Max replied, slouching so far into the chair he might as well be lying down. He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a quick glance at Isaac before putting his hood up and listening again.

_ (“There’s, like, major riots and stuff. A huge rift in the schooling system there so now they’re fighting back or something.”)  _ Isaac frowned at Max’s behaviour. He was back to ignoring the red-headed boy, and Isaac wasn’t going to have it. Isaac got a pen out of his pencil case and started twirling it around his fingers.

“Oh. Mr Starchman’s pretty late, huh?” Isaac grumbled, staring directly at his table before looking at Max once more. He was very obviously not listening.

_ (“Huh. Good on them.”)  _ The girls stopped talking about it, and moved onto something else.

“Yeah. Sure,” Max muttered, subtly turning to check if the girls’ conversation was done. Isaac huffed. They heard footsteps coming down the hall and a whistling tune before the door slammed open.

“Gooood morning class! Who’s ready to go into the wondrous world of literacy once again!”

  
  
  
  


**Year 8, Term Two. Week Three.**

 

Max sat in the same place as a fortnight ago. Isaac wasn’t there.

Max started eavesdropping again. At least he had a reason why, and he wasn’t ignoring anyone this time. He had made up with Isaac once he noticed that he had annoyed him. It would make full sense for him to be, but Max didn’t think Isaac would be that bothered by it. He didn’t belong in this class, to begin with. Realising he got too lost in thought, he honed back in on the conversation he was targeting.

_ (“Apparently they were covering up the mass slaughter of their student council!” ) _

_ (“Holy shit! That’s why?” The girl’s voice escalated.) _ Something slammed on the desks behind him.

_ (“Was that inappropriate language? Did you swea-“ she laughed as she accused, fake shock in her voice, before being abruptly cut off.) _

Max swivelled around in his chair.

“Hey, Mariah, right?” She made a face and put down her pen. It was chewed on the end.

“My name is Jacklyn,” she replied, quiet disdain in her voice almost overpowering the monotony of correcting him. Max tilted his head back and forth before shrugging his shoulders.

“Whatever. So, what’s happening over there?” Jacklyn’s eyes lit up with excitement and sorrow. Her hands moved in front of her, ready to dance while she talked.

“This really prestigious school has been accused of covering up a mass murder on the grounds of their council. The ‘Reserve Course has been rioting for months now about how poorly they’ve been treated, too.” The animated expressions and hands of the girl suddenly paused.

“Fuck,” Max muttered, looking down. This was dangerous, and there had to be some sort of issue with ghosts. And, he knew somebody that went on a trip, too...

“Also, apparently the video of the student council killings makes people go loco!” Another girl pushed into Max’s vision, speaking as loudly as the colour of her hair. Jacklyn looked scandalized.

“Mackenzie!” She yelled, pushing the girl off of both of them. Fixing her hair and now dishevelled outfit, she looked to Mackenzie for some excuse. The other girl rolled her eyes.

“I’m just speakin’ the truth,” Mackenzie folded her arms and leaned back, closing her eyes. Max stopped paying attention to them and thought harder. Who went to Japan? Oh, was obviously him, that’s why he’s not here. Isaac went on holiday to Japan. It probably shouldn’t matter that much that a school was protesting, so Max ceased his worries.

  
  
  
  


**Year 8, Term 3, Week 5**

 

Max didn’t need to ask Jacklyn what had happened. It was reported everywhere.

The mass suicide of the entire reserve course at that school. He still paid attention to bits and pieces of gossip.

_ (“Did you hear about what happened at that school?”)  _ Max nodded to himself. No-one was talking to him, and it wasn’t Jacklyn talking this time. Oh, he heard.

Students from ‘the school of hope’ running rampant in the streets. Doing awful, awful things.

_ (“Pretty ironic from a school with a name like Hope’s Peak Academy.”) _

Calling themselves ‘Remnants of Despair’. 

Max would call them terrorists.

 

But it was still before class. So he was in the clubroom.

 

The door clicked open, and someone walked in slowly, like they were wasting time.

“Hi, Max.” Isabel sat on the couch beside him. She lounged out on the couch but shifted positions more than twice. Max paid attention to her, but wouldn’t ask if she was okay. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Isabel spoke up.

“They’re calling it a worldwide threat. These people, they can’t be stopped, and they keep spreading their crazy!” She exclaimed, tugging a piece of her hair. Max knew full well it was true.

“You don’t know that,” He replied, turning away and pulling his cap down. Isabel growled.

“Some of the ‘Remnants of Despair’ reached other countries already.” Chucking her umbrella away, she gestured for Max to do the same. Max stared at her incredulously waving his hand around in a ‘what’ gesture. She leaned forward and put her head in her hands.

“Grandpa’s been… irritated by all this.” She looked back at Max, a sobering expression on her face. Max glanced around.

“You sure you don’t wanna check for a wire?” Isabel groaned and stood up. Facing Max, her face got frustrated.

“Max, this is serious. The consortium is on overtime, and they have to weed out traitors everywhere as well. Apparently, we have some in Mayview.” His blood ran cold. Everyone knew what the Remnants did, what would one that had spectral powers do?

“And even though he doesn’t trust me, he’s trying to push more responsibility onto me for the consortium.” She looked out the window, huffing.

“Isn’t that half a good thing?” Max mumbled, not really believing it himself. Isabel’s head snapped toward him, and her eyes narrowed.

“He says that I have to start making examples of traitors, like him. That the Guerras are powerful and will not succumb to this. And that terrorists like that will know their place.” She rubbed her eyes. Max would’ve comforted her, but the bell rang. He stood up awkwardly, but quickly elevated her mood with a joke about Johnny as he walked past the now open door. Max couldn’t help but feel like a shitty friend.

  
  
  
  


**Year 8. Term 3, Week 6** .

 

Isaac was back from his trip.

But Max thought Isaac was acting strange. 

He was unusually quiet and always quickly switching screens on his phone. It was unnerving.

Especially in a ‘new society’ where no-one’s trustworthy of each other.

 

Every time he would try to talk to the redhead he would be shut down, or only be met with a response of ‘hm’ and ‘sure’. Isaac stopped turning up to school one day, and when asked why, he just said that his parents wanted to homeschool him. Max couldn’t challenge that, he had never met Isaac’s parents or heard the other boy talking about them. Which made it more suspicious on some accounts.

 

Whatever.

 

The world was ending. There have since been many incidents of ‘despair’ from the first one, and they were all over the world. And they were whatever gorey, disgusting fantasy you could think of. And at the end of the world, Max didn’t really care much for his education. He stayed home most of the time and watched the news. Maybe it was safer to be at home, anyway. It was unhealthy, and god he knew it, but the fear. 

He was so afraid. He had reasons.

 

The ‘shelter’ Hope’s Peak Academy set up for it’s remaining students had been turned into a murder game streaming live to all residents possible nationally. And it was online in various places internationally, too. 

Max found it sickening.

  
  
  
  


**Year 8. Term 3, Week ??**

 

Max was leaned in close to the screen, bright light flooding his eyes dangerously. It has been his only source of light for a long time. He almost screamed when he saw the name on the news.

Junko Enoshima.

She was revealed to be the mastermind behind everything.

Behind all the despair, the issues, the entire goddamn apocalypse! 

He started laughing. He laughed and laughed and laughed and-

“Max?” A young and very scared voice spoke.

He stopped and turned. Zoe stood behind him, clutching a bloodied schoolbag. He frowned.

“What the hell happened?” He saw her glance at the model on the TV before looking back at him. She looked scared, and tears pooled in her eyes.

“Zoe? Seriously, why is there-“

“You know about everything but what goes on in your own town, huh?” She broke down into tears, dropping the bag. Frustration causing an overflow.

“He’s dead Max!”  _ (max climbed over the couch to hug her. he had a strong inclination of who she meant, but maybe it wasn’t him. maybe it wasn’t.) _

_ (“Dad’s dead!”) _

  
  
  
  


**Year 8. ???? ?????**

 

Michael Puckett was involved in a ‘terrorist incident’.

Zoe says that they were out shopping to get her a new bag when he got rammed down.

Along with others. Many others, some including Max’s classmates. 20 injured, 6 casualties. 

The news likes to call how the Remnants of Despair spread the ‘Despair Disease’.

There had been more incidents in Mayview. The death toll (it shouldn’t exist) for the ‘apocalypse’ was rising.

Most notably a group of students imitating the original remnants ‘for their Queen, Enoshima!’ were causing these incidents. 

 

They were arrested after a while, of course, but the law was lax about certain things, and harshly strict about others now. But anyone impersonating Junko Enoshima or her lackeys were to be apprehended as terrorists. Max liked to take this another way.

‘Despair, or a ‘Remnant of Despair’ should be taken down at once. ‘

 

It was too bad Max was falling.

  
  
  
  


**Year 9? ???? ????**

 

The Consortium had to finally have a meeting with its younger members. It was at the dojo, which was looking much more rundown and empty now. A meeting took place in the centre of the main room, where a commanding voice was heard.

“We have already gotten rid of most traitors in our midst, so you’ll notice if the room looks less bloated.” The oldest Guerra spoke. The people left took this chance to look around the room. Yes, it was empty, and that was a scary thought. That traitors used to be here. 

“Others probably commit suicide, considering the bodies without ghosts.” Max took a moment to commit that one to memory. Guerra rubbed his chin before continuing.

“I also don’t believe I’ve seen a ghost from the Mayview Mall incident, which is very suspicious. There is someone else betraying us, and I’d like to know who.” One of the remaining disciples spoke up.

“Is it possible they got mixed up with all the other ghosts and spirits?” Guerra glared, but nodded.

“I have considered it. There are really too many spirits to tell anymore.” Another disciple spoke. They were young.

“Why are there so many? I didn’t think there was that much death happening in Mayview.” Mr Spender moved forward a step.

“Mayview sort of, attracts, ghosts and spirits. But you knew this already, right?” Mr Spender asked. Max glared in response.

“What was the point of this entire meeting? To tell us that because we’re cursed, we have to get rid of all the ghosts here? Sorry, but no.” Max walked away shoving his hands in his pockets.

“As much as I don’t have a life anymore, I’m not re-joining your little ghostbusters squad. I’ve got a sister to take care of.” Isabel and Ed had tried to get him back, but the eldest Guerra stopped them. When he reached the door, he turned around with a grin on his face.

“You know what? I’ll get you your fucking bat back by this afternoon.” 

 

Max was surprised no-one had stopped him there, lest called social services.

(if they even existed anymore.) The last words he heard from anyone in the consortium were, ‘something sleeper something future foundation’. 

But why should he care?

  
  
  
  


**Year 9?? ???? ????**

 

There had been another murder game broadcast. It was awful.

This time Max watched every minute of it.

He needed to know! What if more information was put out during it? (badbadbAdBADBA-)

The news was just repeating and possibly omitting good information about the demise of the world. So why watch the news, when he could watch the symbols of hope go through these events to find out… information. It was the information he wanted, right?

 

Zoe stayed in her room most of the time with Dad’s stuff.

Max was fine with that, (no) he just cooked mac and cheese for her and left it at the door. It gave him more opportunities to watch the game in his grimy house. Of course, he was grimy himself. He was disgusting.

 

There was a knock on the door.

 

Max froze up in fear.

 

Walking down the stairs to the back door, he took a breath before speaking.

“Who is it?”

(don’t phrase it as a question make it a demand-)

“Max, it’s me, Isaac.”

Despite lingering fears about Isaac, he opened the door. The burgundy sky was darker than usual, with clouds full of acid rain pouring down. At least, he assumed it was acid rain. It would make sense. A shadow stood in the doorway.

“Can I come in?” Isaac asked, a soft smile highlighting tired eyes.

“Fine,” Max replied, a hard glare from the cynic and insomniac.

 

Isaac and Max walked up into the main area. The guest took his shoes off, though Max didn’t take his shoes off, not trusting the other to not put tacks all over his floor.

“You’re quite a hermit, aren’t you?” Isaac pointed out, looking around. He lingered on the curtained windows before moving his gaze once again. Max’s eyes never once moved.

“Cut to the point.” Isaac stared at the TV for a moment, then back at Max. He looked incredibly paranoid, and tired.

“So you’ve been keeping up with it too, right?” He asked with a smile. Max frowned more than he already did, it seemed like that was his permanent expression.

“What. The fate of the earth? Yeah, I’d  _ fucking _ say I am. What’s your point, or more importantly, when are you leaving?” Max growled and crossed his arms.

“ _ They _ sent me to check up on you. And Zoe, for that matter. What have you two been eating? And drinking?” He sighed heavily, like there was deep pity weighing it down.

“Dad had an apocalypse survival kit. Full of non-perishable items and bottled water. Even though the tap water’s contaminated, I’m gonna keep using it until it gets turned off.” He looked to the side. A crooked smile appeared on Isaac’s face.

“Oh. But still,” Isaac closed the gap between them. (tooclosesoclose)

 

“You’re already in despair, aren’t you?”

  
  
  
  


**??? ?????? ??????**

 

Social services came to pick up Zoey.

Max was presumed dead.

 

Good. He’ll be that way soon.

  
  
  
  


**??? ?????? ???????**

 

Max didn’t know how old he was. He assumed late teens by now. (the same as your idol your QUEEN) His house was filthy. He didn’t care. He didn’t.

Max spent most of his time with Isaac now. They watched Danganronpa together.

 

It was fantastic.

People just couldn’t get enough of the killing games  _ she _ set up, so there was a whole reality TV series based off of it!

And it was real.

(i hate it)

They were remnants of despair, and it was their little secret.

  
  
  
  


**??? ????? ?????**

 

“The last bottle of water… How despair-inducing…” Max held it in his hand. He drank it all, then walked into his room. From before he slept on the couch so he wouldn’t miss a thing.

 

Where he kept the old family photo. The one where Zoey was a baby, where he was grumpy and only five and he had both of his parents and it was simpler times-

 

Run on sentences.

Haha.

 

Max raised up a kitchen knife and-

  
  
  
  


_ Such despair. Your mother isn’t even here. _

  
  
  



End file.
